


the case of the late professor

by mustardbastard



Series: Professor Elric Shenanigans [2]
Category: Fullmetal Alchemist - All Media Types, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood & Manga
Genre: Adult Edward Elric, Attempt at Humor, Edward Elric Swears, Fuhrer Roy Mustang, Humor, M/M, POV Original Character, POV Original Female Character, POV Outsider, Professor Edward Elric, Well - Freeform, idk dont question it lol, married royed, professor elric, vague mangahood/modern au?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-31
Updated: 2019-05-31
Packaged: 2020-04-05 03:10:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,553
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19039972
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mustardbastard/pseuds/mustardbastard
Summary: cora's just a girl excited to start her first day of college. but she's running a bit late. so is her professor, listed as an e. elric, thankfully.or so it seems.aka ed likes to troll his students on the first day of class but his husband spoils his fun.





	the case of the late professor

**Author's Note:**

> me at 3:30 am: ok, I should try to sleep & not write bc it's late  
> my cat: barges in my room a bit before 4:30am & starts meowing bc he wants treats & then out  
> me: well, i aint gonna get back to sleep yet so might as well write for a bit ig, finishes this thing like, around 6am.  
> it's now sunny out & i havent slept and kjfgdkjgfdkjfka the author regrets everything RIP
> 
> there's... slightly more than vague issues in determining whether this is a post-BH/manga thing or just a modern au, so just like go with it. please. dont ask me questions abt continuity im too tired T-T
> 
> i should be working on my fucking post-BH xing concubine ed fic but that thing is giving me so much,, Trouble. so have this instead.
> 
> based on a tumblr post again.
> 
> hope u have fun?

Cora is going to be late.

 

It's the first day of class, the second of the semester, and Cora's first day of college. And she's going to be late. All because her alarm clock decided to die in the middle of the night and she forgot to set her backup alarm on her phone.

 

Shit.

 

She silently makes a mental note to remember to thank her parents later for pushing her to live in the dorms―if she had lived at home like she originally planned, she'd be _much_ more screwed than she is now.

 

Thankfully, she's not running _too_ late; she manages to dash down the hall and up the stairs of the scientific wing before skidding to a halt in front of her classroom door.

 

This is it.

 

ALCHEM101, or the basic principles of alchemy, taught by a Professor E. Elric. In her research and planning of her classes for this semester, Cora had discovered that Professor Elric, although a bit eccentric and foul-mouthed, was absolutely _brilliant_ , a complete genius at alchemy. There wasn't much information about him available other than that, but Cora could tell from the reviews that his students all deeply respected him and enjoyed his class. She's nervous, but excited as well. Hopefully the professor won't mind too much that she's late―it's only five minutes after the start of class after all.

 

But it seems that Cora has nothing to worry about. The classroom, although filled with students, is unmanned. The professor isn't here yet.

 

She nervously glances around for someplace to sit; most of the desks are full except for a few lone scattered ones, but Cora's always been shy, so she's hesitant to take a seat next to a group of students who are already chattering away as if they've known each other for years. Who knows, perhaps they have.

 

As she's looking, she notices a blond kid sitting in the back row. He's sitting with his feet propped up on the desk, ankles crossed, and his arms are propped behind his head, one hand idly playing with his ponytail. He's the spitting image of every school delinquent and bad boy Cora's mother warned her about. This description becomes even more true the longer Cora looks at him―he's clothed head-to-toe in all black, silver chains hanging from his scuffed combat boots and leather pants. He eventually notices Cora staring at him and cocks a brow, grinning in a way that can only be described as shark like, before jerking his head at the empty seat next to him.

 

Cora feels her face warm―just her luck to get caught staring. And by someone hot, too! Damnit. So much for not embarrassing herself on her first day. She was hoping to actually sit near the front of the classroom, but at this point, he's the only one who's acknowledged her so the back row will have to do. She quietly makes her way to the desk, dropping her backpack to the floor and sliding into the chair.

 

As she does, she's able to get a better look at him up close. His eyes are a strange golden color that she's never seen on a human before, just a few shades darker than his hair. It reminds her of the eyes of an owl―watching and waiting, all-knowing and _dangerous_. A slight shiver crawls down her spine as he glances at her, assessing her. Cora has to fight the urge to smooth out her clothes, she's not some silly naïve schoolgirl dammit! He looks to be about a few years older than her as well, though not that much older. Cora would put him at about 22, at the _most_. But it makes her wonder what he's doing in a class that's supposed to be geared towards freshmen and sophomores.

 

"Hey," he eventually greets her.

 

"Hi," she breathes out, and Cora promptly regrets ever opening her mouth. "Do you have any idea where the professor is?"

 

"Nah," the blond says, shaking his head, obviously uncaring. "Who teaches the class again?"

 

"Elric, E." Cora recites.

 

He snorts. "Ah shit, Elric? I've heard he's a fucking nutcase."

 

"Really? From everything I've heard about him, he seems like an incredibly smart man and an engaging teacher. Sure, a few of the reviews said he's a bit… odd, but I doubt the school would let someone incompetent teach an _alchemy_ course." For some reason, Cora finds herself wanting to defend the absentee man, despite knowing next to nothing about him. She's always been the type to get irritated at her peers when they don't appreciate all that teachers do for them―something that hardly made her popular in high school.

 

"I wouldn't be too sure about _that_ ," he drawls. "They let some real idiots into the state program, lemme tell ya."

 

Cora is too distracted at the moment to focus on what he's said and what it reveals, though. She thinks she can make out a tattoo on the back of one of his hands―a cross, with a snake wrapped around it, and a lizard at the top and bottom end of the cross, each curved around it just slightly. And is that a wedding ring on his finger? Holy shit, is this guy _married_?

 

She never has a chance to ask though―they're interrupted by the sound of the classroom door opening and a man walking in. Finally, it seems Professor Elric is here. A quick glance at the clock tells Cora that it's just ten minutes after the start time.

 

The professor is a tall man, or at least Cora assumes so, she can't really tell from this distance, with dark hair that falls artfully in his face. He's dressed formally, and wow, will all of Cora's professors wear suits to class?

 

He looks up from the front of the room towards the students, who are silent now when they had been near raucous moments before. "No need to quiet down on my account," and his voice is so velvety smooth that Cora could _melt_ , "I'm not your professor, merely his husband." Wait. What?

 

Cora looks to the blond sitting next to her to see if he shares her shock and confusion, but he's just rolling his eyes, muttering something that she can't hear.

 

The class never regains its previous noise level, and remains filled with an awkward weight, a silence broken only by scattered giggles and hushed conversations.

 

At least five minutes pass like this and Cora is starting to get antsy. _W_ _here_ is their professor?

 

Apparently his husband is getting impatient too. The dark haired man lets out a sigh, and calls out "Edward, dearest, must you really insist on torturing your students like this?"

 

Huh?

 

"Aww, Roy, why d'you always gotta ruin my fun? Fucking come on, Mustang, you have to admit it's fun to watch them squirm." The reply comes from the blond sitting next to Cora, and she turns her head around to look at him so fast she almost gives herself whiplash.

 

_This_ guy is their professor? The goth delinquent is Professor Elric?

 

And hold on a moment―Edward Elric. Roy Mustang. Cora's heard those names before… No way. It can't be!

 

The blond guy―Professor _Edward_ Elric, Cora corrects herself, and doesn't that make her feel faint―knocks his feet off the desk, one foot landing heavier than the other and stands, cracking his back as he does so. He yawns exaggeratedly. "Why're ya even here, anyway?"

 

"I brought coffee, thought you could use the caffeine boost," _F_ _ührer_ Mustang says, holding up a thermos.

 

"Shit, Hawkeye actually let you away from the office for that? Tell her I love her and that you owe her a raise," his husband―the Führer's husband is Cora's professor!?!?―replies, hopping over empty desks and making his way to the front.

 

Is the Führer _pouting_? "You love her and not me? How cruel of you, Edward."

 

Professor Elric―and Cora doesn't think she'll ever get used to referring to him as that―scoffs, snatching the thermos from his husband's hands. "Oh hush, you big whiny baby," he replies after taking a gulp. "Don't you have a country to run and shit? Or should it be Hawkeye's name on the ballot next time, since she's basically doing half your job anyway?"

 

"I have the day off," is all Führer Mustang elects to say.

 

"Sure you do," Professor Elric says in a tone that implies he doesn't believe him. Cora wouldn't be surprised if he rolled his eyes as well. He turns and starts to address the class. Cora feels herself straighten in her seat automatically, an instinctual response to the sound of a class beginning. "Alright, now that the Truth's out of the Gate, obviously, I'm your fucking professor. And today, we're gonna talk about two things: my husband's favorite topic: myself; and my favorite topic, aka the reason you shits are all here I hope: alchemy."

 

Well, now Cora understands why some of the reviews described Professor Elric as eccentric. But she's still looking forward to the class. You know, once she gets over her initial embarrassment and the general wanting-to-die feeling from being tricked by her professor that’s currently consuming her. It’s sure to be an interesting semester, at least.

**Author's Note:**

> kudos/comments/etc appreciated but not necessary!! <3
> 
> and im just gonna stick this onto the end notes of my fics that I post before the event (even tho I doubt anybody who reads this actually goes to sacanime LOL):  
> i'll be at sacanime as marceline w a giant axe bass or fem kaneki ken if u wanna scream fma!!


End file.
